Youngest Ever WSU Graduate Credits Her Faith
June 13, 2011
Kayla Heard Continued: significant, faith was a crucial part of her story.
Local 16 year old Kayla Heard WSU grad through online learning
By Debbie Tecca for the Examiner.com
May 2, 2011
Union girl youngest ever to graduate from WSU
By Eric Wilkinson for King 5 News
April 26, 2011
Youngest ever WSU graduate credits home school
BBy Stephanie Klein for MyNorthwest.com
May 8, 2011
16-Year-Old Has Eye on Law School After Graduating From College
BBy Susanna Baird for AOL News
Apr 28th 2011
16-year-old earns WSU degree without stepping on campus
By Jody Lawrence-turner for The Seattle Times
May 6, 2011
Much more than online edcation, faith in God and a loving relationship with a caring mother may have been overlooked in covering the story of Kayla Heard. In our interview with Ms. Heard we wanted to know more about the role of faith in her educational journey.
SheltonChurches.com: In the King 5 interview you started to talk about your faith but part of your answer appeared to be cut off. Could you tell us more about your faith and the role it plays in your life?
Kayla Heard: I'm a born-again Christian and have a personal relationship with Jesus. I feel very fortunate to have a Savior that can be both my friend and Someone I can trust to guide my life in the right direction. I don't have to be frustrated over the future's uncertainty, or stress over the little details of getting where I want to go in life, because I always trust that God will make a way. It takes a lot of strain off my shoulders and gives me such an inner peace, I can't possibly imagine living life without knowing that my life is in God's hands and dedicated to His purpose.
SheltonChurches.com: Did you find your Christian faith helpful in your education? If so, please tell us more about the relationship between faith in God and your education.
Kayla Heard: My relationship with Jesus was crucial in my education. I honestly don't think I could have made it without Him. This is especially true for those times when I was mentally and physically exhausted and still dealing with a massive workload, and I would just break down and give everything up to Jesus. Every time, it would be as if a wave of peace washed over me and gave me the determination and perseverance I needed to get through it.
SheltonChurches.com: How and when did you first realize that you were learning much faster than other children your age?
Kayla Heard: I was actually eight years old when I found out. At the time, I'd been pondering about the fact that most people reacted with surprise when I told them I was in the 7th grade, and randomly decided to ask my mother if it was normal for an eight year old to be at that grade level. She explained it to me, and, lo and behold: the discovery was made.
I'm glad I grew up in the habit of considering myself a normal child, though. It's helped me to remember that my intelligence is a God-given gift, and that I am truly just an ordinary person who received a blessing.
SheltonChurches.com: Realizing your age difference, were you ever challenged by older students knowing that you were much younger than they were?
Kayla Heard: Once, when I was twelve and encountered a classmate who purposely went out of his way to insult me because of my age. I defended myself and won in the end, but decided to simply not mention my age in the future. After that, nobody really suspected my statements, discussion posts, or assignments were written by a young teenager and most of my classmates went on thinking I was just another adult.
SheltonChurches.com: I understand that you are considering a degree in law as your next goal in your education.
Kayla Heard: I haven't studied at law school as of yet; admissions don't start until October. However, my faith has been an issue in some of my humanities, social sciences, or political science classes. One time I was enrolled in an anthropology class – one that dealt mainly with evolution theory – and found myself the only Christian in the entire class. I spent the whole quarter defending my faith from the sidelines, as I never let up on my standpoints concerning evolution and creation.
SheltonChurches.com: Interesting. How did you maintian your position in discussions of God and faith.
Kayla Heard: In my own experiences with academia, I've noticed that a significant number of people tend to think that Christians are repressed, old-fashioned, and have a 'holier than thou' mindset. I’ve tried to do whatever I can to let them know that, in reality, we’re also flawed human beings who need the love of Jesus and we understand that God already gave human beings the choice between right and wrong. When disagreeing with others' opinions or facing conflict over my beliefs, I'd usually add something along the lines of, “I respect that you're entitled to your opinion and I know everyone has to make their own choices between right and wrong. All I'm asking is that you respect my opinions, beliefs, and choices as well.”
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